ប្រាសាទអង្គវត្ត

ប្រាសាទអង្គវត្ត

ប្រវត្តិសាស្រ្តអង្គរ

ក្រុម​ប្រា​សាទ​អង្គរ​តូច​មាន​ទី​តាំង​ ស្ថិត​នៅ​ភាគ​ខាង ​ជើង​ក្រុង​សៀម​រាប​ក្នុង​ស្រុកសៀម​រាប​មាន​ចំ​ងាយ ៧ គ.ម ពី​ទី​រួម​ខេត្ត​តាម​ផ្លូវ​កូ​ម៉ៃ ឬ​ ផ្លូវ​​សាល់​ដឺ​ហ្គោល ។ ក្រុម​ប្រាសាទ​វង់​តូច​រួម​មាន ប្រា​សាទ​អង្គរ​តូច (អង្គរ​វត្ត) មាន​កំ​ពស់ ៦៥​ម៉ែត្រ ក្រ​ឡា​ផ្ទៃ២០០​ហិច​តា ផ្ទៃប្រា​សាទ១.៥០០​ម៉ែត្រ ដែល​កសាង​ឡើង​នៅ​ដើម​សតវត្ស​១២ ដើម្បី​ឥទ្ទិស​ថ្វាយ ព្រះ​វិស្ណុ លុះ​ដល់​ព្រះ​អង្គ​ចូល​ទី​វង្គត​ទៅ​គេ​បាន​ថ្វាយ​ព្រះ​នាម​ព្រះ​អង្គ​​​ថា​ ” ព្រះ​បរមវិស្ណុលោក “   ។ ប្រា​សាទ​អង្គរ​វត្ត​ជា​ប្រា​សាទ​សំ​ខាន់​ជាង​គេ​មួយ​ក្នុង​ចំ​ណោម​ប្រា​សាទ ​ទាំង​ឡាយ​នៅ​ក្នុង​តំ​បន់​អង្គរ​ដែល​អ្នក​ទេស​​ចរ​មកទស្សនា ។

ម្យ៉ាង ​ទៀត​ប្រាសាទ​នេះ​មាន​កិត្តិស័ព្ទល្បី​ពេញ​ពិ​ភព​លោក​ហើយ​មាន​ភាព​អស្ចារ្យ​ របស់​វា​រហូត​ដល់​គេ​គិត​ថាប្រា​សាទ​នេះ​​មិន​មែន​ជា​ស្នា​​ដៃ​របស់​មនុស្ស​ គឺ​ជា​​​ដៃ​របស់​អា​ទិ​ទេព ។ ជា​ការ​ពិត​ណាស់​ប្រា​សាទ​អង្គរ​វត្ត​បាន​កសាង​ឡើង​នៅ​ឆ្នាំ​១១១៣ ដល់ ១១៥០ក្នុង​​រាជ្យព្រះ​បាទ​សូ​រ្យ​វ័ន្ម​ទី២ ដែល​មាន​មរណ​នាម​ថាបរម​វិស្ណុ​លោក ។ ប្រា​សាទ​អង្គរ​វត្ត​ឈ្មោះ​ដើម ​” ប្រា​សាទ​បរមវិ​ស្ណុ​លោក ” ​​ឈ្មោះ​ដែល​​គេ​ហៅ​ថា​អង្គរ​វត្ត​នេះ​ត្រូវ​បាន​គេ​ស្គាល់​ច្រើន​នៅ​ក្នុង​ ពេល​បច្ចុប្បន្ន​នេះ​ មិន​ថា​បរទេសឬ​ប្រ​ជា​ជន​ខ្មែរ​ឡើយ ។ ចំ​ពោះ​ប្រជាជន​ខ្មែរ​ពិសេសអ្នក​សៀម​រាប​ច្រើន​និយាយ​ថា​ទៅ​លេង ” អង្គរ​តូច ” ” អង្គរ​ធំ ” ដែល​មាន​ន័យ​ថាគេ​ហៅ​អង្គរ​តូច​សំ​ដៅ​ទៅ​លើ​អង្គរ​វត្ត និង​អង្គរ​ធំ​សំ​​​ដៅ​ទៅ​លើ​ប្រា​សាទ​បាយ័ន្ត​ដែល​ប្រជាជនហៅ​ថា​អង្គរ​ធំ​ នោះ​គឺ​គេ​មិន​បាន​គិត​ទៅ​ដល់​ប្រាសាទ​ផ្សេង​ៗឯទៀត​ក្រៅ​ពី​ប្រា​សាទ​ បាយ័ន្ត​ឡើយ​ គឺ​ថា​បើ​​ទៅ​លេង​អង្គរ​ធំ​គឺ​សំ​ដៅ​​ទៅ​លើ​បាយ័ន្ត​ហើយ ។ ចំ​ពោះ​ពាក្យ​ដែល​ហៅ​ទូ​ទៅទៅ​លើ​អង្គរ​វត្ត គឺ​ក្នុង​នោះ​មាន​ពាក្យ​ថា​អង្គរ​និង​វត្ត ។

• អង្គរៈ វចនានុ​ក្រម​របស់​លោក​គ្រូ ពៅ សាវ​រស អង្គរ​មក​ពី​ពាក្យ​សំ​ស្រ្កឹត​ថា នគរ មានន័យ​ថា ” ទី​ក្រុង ធា​នី អាណាចក្រ ” ។
• វត្តៈ ជា​ទី​ដែល​ព្រះ​សង្ឃ​គង់​នៅដែល​ស្ថិត​នៅ​ក្នុង​ពុទ្ធ​សា​សនា​ថេរ​វាទ ។

រួម ​ន័យ​ទាំង​ពីរ​មក​អង្គរ​វត្ត​មាន​ន័យ​ថា​ជា​ទីក្រុង​ដែល​មាន​វត្ត​ពុទ្ធ​ សាសនា​ថេរវាទ​នៅ​ខាង​ក្នុង ។ ការ​វិវត្ត​ន៍​នៃ​ឈ្មោះ​អង្គរ​វត្ត​អា​ច​ត្រូវ​បាន​គេ​យក​​​តាមប្រ​វត្តិសា​ ​ស្រ្តា ។ ស្លាក​ស្នាម​ដំ​បូង​គឺ​វា​មាន​នៅ​សតវត្ស​ទី​១៦ ជា​ការ​ពិត​ណាស់​ប្រា​សាទ​នេះ​បាន​ក្លាយ​ទៅ​ជា​ទី​កន្លែង​ពុទ្ធ​សាសនា​ដ៏​ ល្បី​​ល្បាញមួយ ។ តាម​សិ​លា​ចរិក​នៅ​ក្នុង​សតវត្ស​ទី​១៦ ឈ្មោះ​នៃ​ប្រា​សាទ​អង្គរ​វត្ត​គឺ ” ព្រះ​មហានគរ ឥន្រ្ទប្រត្ថ​ព្រះ​ពិស្ណុ​លោក ” ។ ការ​ហៅ ” ​ឥន្រ្ទប្រ​ត្ថ ” គឺ​ឋិត​នៅ​ក្នុង​ភា​សា​​សំស្រ្តឹត​ហើយ​ក្លាយ​ទៅ​ជា​បាលី ” ឥន្ទបត្ថ ” បញ្ជាក់ទៅ​លើ​ការ​ឆ្លង​ពីព្រហ្ម​មញ្ញសាសនា​ទៅ​ព្រះ​ពុទ្ធ​សាសនា​​ថេរ​វាទ ។ ការ​ហៅ​ទៅ​លើ​ឈ្មោះថា ពិស្ណុលោក គឺ​រំ​លឹក​ដល់​ឈ្មោះ​មរណៈ​នាម​របស់ស្តេច​ដែល​បាន​កសាង​ប្រា​សាទ​នេះគឺ ” បរមវិ​ស្ណុ​លោក ” រីឯ ” ស្រី​សុ​ធរ ” ជា​ការ​ហៅ​រំ​លឹក​ឡើង​វិញ​ទៅ​លើ​ឈ្មោះទី​ក្រុង​ចាស់​អង្គរ​ឈ្មោះ​ស្រី​យ​សោ​ ធរ​បុរ ។ ពាក្យ​ថា​ឥ​ន្ទប្រត្ថ ឬ​ទី​ក្រុង​របស់​ព្រះ​ឥន្ទ ​ទាំង​នេះ​វា​ទាក់​ទង​ទៅ​នឹង​ជំ​នឿក្នុង​ព្រហ្មសាសនា​ដែលព្រះ​ឥន្រ្ទ​មាន​ទី ​កន្លែង​នៅ​លើ​ដី ។ ចំ​ណែក​ឈ្មោះ​អង្គរ​វត្ត​គឺ​ជា​ឈ្មោះ​សា​ម​ញ្ញ​សំ​រាប់​កំ​​ណត់ បូជនី​ដ្ឋាន​នេះ​ ទោះ​បី​យ៉ាង​ណាការ​អះ​អាង​បន្ថែម​ដល់​យើងគឺ​ដោយ​អ្នក​និពន្ធ​អឺ​រ៉ុប​ ដែលទាំងអស់​គ្នា កំ​ណត់​អង្គរ​វត្ត​តាម​ឈ្មោះ​តែ​មួយ ។ ឈ្មោះ​របស់​អង្គរ​វត្ត​ដែល​ហៅ​នៅ​សម័យ​កណ្តាល​គឺ​មិន​ទាន់​រលត់​បាត់​ទេ​គឺ​ នៅ​មាន​ប្រ​ជា​ជន​ស្គាល់នៅ​ឡើយ ថ្វី​ត្បិត​តែ​សព្វ​ថ្ងៃ​គេនាំ​គ្នា​ហៅ​ថា​អង្គរ​វត្ត ឬ​អង្គរ​តូច​ក៏​ដោយ ។ ឧទាហរណ៍ដូច​ជា​ឈ្មោះ​វត្ត​ទាំង​ពីរ​​នៅ​ក្នុង​អង្គរ​វត្ត គឺ​គេ​ដាក់​ឈ្មោះ​នៅ​ក្លោង​ទ្វារ​ចូល​វត្ត​ថា ” ឥន្ទបត្ថ​បុរី​ខាង​ត្បូង ” និង​ឥន្ទ​បត្ថ​បុរី​ខាង​ជើង ” ។ និង​មួយ​ទៀត​មាន​សរសេរ​នៅ​ក្នុង​កន្លែង​ព្រះ​អង្គ​គោក​ធ្លក ដាក់​ថា ” វត្ត​គោក​ធ្លក ឥន្ទី​បត្ថ​បូ​រិ្យ គ្រ្យយសោធ​រា​បុ​រៈ បរៈ តកៈ បញ្ច​លិលា ត្រូវ​ព្រះ​បរមរ្ហជធានី​ខេម​រច​ក្រ​ភព អង្គរ អារ្យ​ប្រ​ទិស ” ។ ទាំង​នេះ​បញ្ជាក់​ឱ្យ​ឃើញ​ថា​ឈ្មោះ​ឥន្ទ​បត្ថ​នេះ​នៅ​មាន​ច្រើន​តាម​កន្លែង​ គេ​គោរព ៕

ដកស្រង់​ចេញពី​សៀវ​ភៅតំបន់​ទេស​ចរណ៍​នៃ​ប្រទេស​កម្ពុជា រៀបចំចងក្រងដោយ លោក កែវ ភួង

Please enjoy the beautiful pictures of one of the seven world Greatest heritages – Angkor Wat of Cambodia.

Angkor Wat lies 5.5 km north of the modern town of Siem Reap, and a short distance south and slightly east of the previous capital, which was centred on the Baphuon. It is in an area of Cambodia where there is an important group of ancient structures. It is the southernmost of Angkor’s main sites.

The initial design and construction of the temple took place in the first half of the 12th century, during the reign of Suryavarman II (ruled 1113 – c. 1150), Dedicated to Vishnu, it was built as the king’s state temple and capital city.

As neither the foundation stela nor any contemporary inscriptions referring to the temple have been found, its original name is unknown, but it may have been known as Vrah Vishnulok after the presiding deity.

Work seems to have ended shortly after the king’s death, leaving some of the bas-relief decoration unfinished.^[2] In 1177, approximately 27 years after the death of Sulyavarman II, Angkor was sacked by the Chams, the traditional enemies of the Khmer.

Thereafter the empire was restored by a new king, Jayavarman VII, who established a new capital and state temple (Angkor Thom and the Bayon respectively) a few kilometres to the north.

In the late 13th century, King Jayavarman VIII, who was Hindu, was deposed by his son in law, Srindravarman. Srindravarman had spent the previous 10 years in Sri Lanka becoming ordained as a Buddhist monk. Hence, the new King decided to convert the official religion of the empire from Hindu to Buddhist.

Given the constant political corruption of the time, citizens were quick to follow a faith founded on tranquility without a need for material gain and power. This made the conversion relatively easy.

^[3] Hence, Angkor Wat was converted from Hindu to Theravada Buddhist use, which continues to the present day. Angkor Wat is unusual among the Angkor temples in that although it was somewhat neglected after the 16th century it was never completely abandoned, its preservation being due in part to the fact that its moat also provided some protection from encroachment by the jungle.^[4]

One of the first Western visitors to the temple was Antonio da Magdalena, a Portuguese monk who visited in 1586 and said that it “ is of such extraordinary construction that it is not possible to describe it with a pen, particularly since it is like no other building in the world.

It has towers and decoration and all the refinements which the human genius can conceive of” .^[5] However, the temple was popularised in the West only in the mid-19th century on the publication of Henri Mouhot‘s travel notes.

The French explorer wrote of it:

“ One of these temples—a rival to that of Solomon, and erected by some ancient Michelangelo—might take an honourable place beside our most beautiful buildings. It is grander than anything left to us by Greece or Rome, and presents a sad contrast to the state of barbarism in which the nation is now plunged.” ^[6]

Mouhot, like other early Western visitors, was unable to believe that the Khmers could have built the temple, and mistakenly dated it to around the same era as Rome. The true history of Angkor Wat was pieced together only from stylistic and epigraphic evidence accumulated during the subsequent clearing and restoration work carried out across the whole Angkor site.

There were no ordinary dwellings or houses or other signs of settlement including cooking utensils weapons or items of clothing usually found at ancient sites. Instead there is the evidence of the monuments themselves. ^[7]

Angkor Wat required considerable restoration in the 20th century, mainly the removal of accumulated earth and vegetation.^[8] Work was interrupted by the civil war and Khmer Rouge control of the country during the 1970s and 1980s, but relatively little damage was done during this period other than the theft and destruction of mostly post-Angkorian statues.^[9]

The temple has become a symbol of Cambodia, and is a source of great national pride. A depiction of Angkor Wat has been a part of Cambodian national flags since the introduction of the first version circa 1863.^[10] In January 2003 riots erupted in Phnom Penh when a false rumour circulated that a Thai soap opera actress had claimed that Angkor Wat belonged to Thailand.^[11]

Angkor Wat, located at 13°24′45″N 103°52′0″E / 13.4125°N 103.866667°E / 13.4125; 103.866667Coordinates: 13°24′45″N 103°52′0″E / 13.4125°N 103.866667°E / 13.4125; 103.866667, is a unique combination of the temple mountain, the standard design for the empire’s state temples, the later plan of concentric galleries, and influences from Orissa and the Chola of Tamil Nadu, India. The temple is a representation of Mount Meru, the home of the gods: the central quincunx of towers symbolises the five peaks of the mountain, and the walls and moat the surrounding mountain ranges and ocean.^[12]

Access to the upper areas of the temple was progressively more exclusive, with the laity being admitted only to the lowest level.^[13]

Unlike most Khmer temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west rather than the east. This has led many (including Glaize and George Coedès) to conclude that Suryavarman intended it to serve as his funerary temple.^[14]

Further evidence for this view is provided by the bas-reliefs, which proceed in a counter-clockwise direction—prasavya in Hindu terminology—as this is the reverse of the normal order. Rituals take place in reverse order during Brahminic funeral services.^[8]

The archaeologist Charles Higham also describes a container which may have been a funerary jar which was recovered from the central tower.^[15] It has been nominated by some as the greatest expenditure of energy on the disposal of a corpse. ^[16]

Freeman and Jacques, however, note that several other temples of Angkor depart from the typical eastern orientation, and suggest that Angkor Wat’s alignment was due to its dedication to Vishnu, who was associated with the west.^[12]

A further interpretation of Angkor Wat has been proposed by Eleanor Mannikka. Drawing on the temple’s alignment and dimensions, and on the content and arrangement of the bas-reliefs, she argues that these indicate a claimed new era of peace under king Suryavarman II: “ as the measurements of solar and lunar time cycles were built into the sacred space of Angkor Wat, this divine mandate to rule was anchored to consecrated chambers and corridors meant to perpetuate the king’s power and to honor and placate the deities manifest in the heavens above.” ^[17][18] Mannikka’s suggestions have been received with a mixture of interest and scepticism in academic circles.^[15] She distances herself from the speculations of others, such as Graham Hancock, that Angkor Wat is part of a representation of the constellation Draco.^[19]

Angkor Wat is the prime example of the classical style of Khmer architecture—the Angkor Wat style—to which it has given its name. By the 12th century Khmer architects had become skilled and confident in the use of sandstone (rather than brick or laterite) as the main building material. Most of the visible areas are of sandstone blocks, while laterite was used for the outer wall and for hidden structural parts. The binding agent used to join the blocks is yet to be identified, although natural resins or slaked lime have been suggested.^[20]

Angkor Wat has drawn praise above all for the harmony of its design, which has been compared to the architecture of ancient Greece or Rome. According to Maurice Glaize, a mid-20th-century conservator of Angkor, the temple “ attains a classic perfection by the restrained monumentality of its finely balanced elements and the precise arrangement of its proportions. It is a work of power, unity and style.” ^[21]

Architecturally, the elements characteristic of the style include: the ogival, redented towers shaped like lotus buds; half-galleries to broaden passageways; axial galleries connecting enclosures; and the cruciform terraces which appear along the main axis of the temple. Typical decorative elements are devatas (or apsaras), bas-reliefs, and on pediments extensive garlands and narrative scenes. The statuary of Angkor Wat is considered conservative, being more static and less graceful than earlier work.^[22] Other elements of the design have been destroyed by looting and the passage of time, including gilded stucco on the towers, gilding on some figures on the bas-reliefs, and wooden ceiling panels and doors.^[23]

The Angkor Wat style was followed by that of the Bayon period, in which quality was often sacrificed to quantity.^[24] Other temples in the style are Banteay Samré, Thommanon, Chao Say Tevoda and the early temples of Preah Pithu at Angkor; outside Angkor, Beng Mealea and parts of Phanom Rung and Phimai.